I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to disposable cat litter and a method of making the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a cat litter formed primarily of corncob grit and sized pellets of corncob chaff and pith and a method for producing the same.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Corncob grit has been used as animal litter for some time. Grit is the woody pulp portion of the cob, the remainder of the cob being pith and chaff. Corncob grit is used as litter because it is compostable, biodegradable, and has superior odor control properties. However, only 60% of the cob is grit, so the remaining 40% of the cob is waste. Additionally, the sorption rate of grit is not fast enough to absorb all of the urine before it reaches the bottom of the tray. When urine reaches the bottom of the tray, it collects and bonds litter to the tray as it dries. Accordingly, it would be desirable to produce a litter which has superior odor control and sorption rate.
Clumpable animal litter formed of particles of bentonite clay, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,115, has also been used for some time. The particles of the bentonite clay adhere together and form a clump when moistened by animal dross. The clump of the moistened litter may then be easily removed from the litter box with a scoop and discarded, thereby extending the useful life of a batch of litter. However, bentonite clay used in clumpable cat litter contains mica. Mica is carcinogenic, accordingly, use of such a compound raises health concerns for both the animal concerned and the person changing the litter.
Known animal litters are easily "tracked" by the animals. Tracking occurs when litter adheres to the paws or feet of the animal and is carried outside the litter box when the animal leaves. The litter then gradually leaves the paws or feet of the animal, leaving a "track" of litter particles. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to produce a clumpable, biodegradable animal litter which was safe to use, easily disposed of, and has minimal tracking.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to produce an economical animal litter from fully natural biodegradable products which is completely compostable and has a low degree of tracking.